Star Fox: Return of the Lylat Wars
by FoxRocks
Summary: The Star Fox team is back for more thrills and action in my sequel to Star Fox: A New Dimension! Andross has returned and threatens the Lylat System once again, causing this story to bring back some original elements. Warning: Some Romance. Please enjoy!
1. Prologue

**Star Fox: Return of the Lylat Wars Prologue**

**A/N: This story has been revamped, like its predecessor, to fix its mistakes and improve its quality. Please enjoy!**

* * *

The Star Fox team jumps into more action in my sequel to Star Fox: A New Dimension! After Andross's revival and the betrayal of Fox's (false) uncle, Fox searches nonstop for answers as he encounters old perils and some new, finding more and more surprises. Enjoy Star Fox: Return of the Lylat Wars!

Note: If you haven't read my first story, Star Fox: A New Dimension, I strongly suggest you read that one first to be sure you know what's going on. Enjoy!


	2. Reunited on Planet Katina

**Chapter 1: Reunited on Planet Katina**

**Fox and the team have to find and stop the evil Andross once again upon learning of his revival and his plan to take over Lylat again. They have taken his nephew, Andrew Oikonny into custody. Fox is currently headed for Planet Katina to find his father…**

* * *

Fox McCloud arrived at last on the barren planet with dirt scattered around everywhere. Right now, he didn't care when he found Andross. He just wanted to find his father. Katina was very plain, very little to see. Despite its dull features, the military on Corneria had set up many bases and outposts here, one where Fox had fought at during the Aparoid Invasion. At that time, Pigma Dengar had tricked them into thinking it was a distress signal, but fooled them and stole the core memory of the Aparoids.

Fox landed his Arwing neatly next to an old building where he could ask someone about James. He knocked hard on the door and waited for a response. Eventually, an old, bent-over turtle with a cane opened the door and straightened his glasses when he saw Fox.

"Why are you here?" the turtle asked.

Fox replied, "I'm looking for my father, James McCloud. He's a fox. He should look fairly similar to me."

The turtle looked at Fox closely, and slowly started to nod up and down.

"That's right! He's in the building next to us! I just saw him a few minutes ago," the turtle informed him.

Fox shook the turtle's hand with gratitude and said, "Thanks."

Fox left his Arwing behind and walked to the building next to the turtle's. It was fortunate that Fox only had to ask one person to find his father. Fox felt so nervous and excited to see his father again after all these years. He'd have to tell him about everything!

Once Fox had entered the building, he could see many creatures drinking and having food; it must have been a diner of some sort. They all seemed happy and satisfied in the jovial atmosphere. Fox's eyes darted around for his father, but he could not see him.

He went to the waitress at the counter and asked, "Have you seen a fox, looks like me?"

The waitress said, "Ah, yes! He's at the back right table!"

Fox headed towards the table near the back, ready to meet his father again after so long. He found a fox almost identical to him, sitting down at a small two-seat table, holding his sunglasses in hand. Fox nearly gasped when he saw his father at last! Fox slowly walked over to the table, still unable to grasp the reality of seeing someone he thought was dead.

Fox sat down at the other side of the table and said to his long-lost father, "Hi, dad."

James slowly looked up and saw for the first time in years, his son. James suddenly dropped his glasses, and his mouth hung open in surprise. There was no mistaking it was his son.

"Fox, is it really you?" James said, barely refraining himself from tears.

Fox smiled at his dad and confirmed, "Yah, it's me."

James felt a tear escape his eye and roll down the side of his cheek. He came around the table and gave Fox a big hug of affection. It was such a happy occasion; they both thought for sure it must be a dream!

"I never thought I'd see you again!" James said to Fox.

Fox smiled and said, "We have a lot to talk about, dad."

"But of course; you tell me about yourself!" James smiled back.

Fox started telling his father about all the adventures he had had.

"First, it really began when I thought Andross killed you. From there, these guys named Slippy and Falco teamed up with me and Peppy and formed the new Star Fox team. It wasn't long before I met up with Andross and confronted him personally. I took him out, and then we went back to Corneria to celebrate. Later on, we got a distress call from Sauria, a distant planet. It turned out that there was a whole tribe in need and…" Fox paused for a moment.

James laughed heartily and said, "It's alright. Keep going."

Fox cleared his throat and continued, "We met the last Cerinian alive there who was almost killed by Andross, who came back! I had to save her and beat down Andross again. After that, the girl, oh, who's name is Krystal, joined the team and we battled against these creatures called Aparoids, who tried to take over Lylat! They gave us some trouble. Pigma came along, but died later on in the Asteroid Belt… Anyways, we eventually reached the Aparoid home world and took out the queen. After that, we meet these new enemies called Tritans!"

James laughed and said, "Sounds like a lot already! I knew about the Tritans. When did you find out about me?"

Fox kept going, "After we beat down a Tritan squadron, we returned to Corneria and found out that Pepper was dying after being infected by the Aparoids. He gave Bill Grey a briefcase containing confidential documents and letters. I found the one from Pepper that said you were alive and read the letter from you when I found out about Andross still being alive!"

James nodded and asked, "You did finish off the Tritans, right?"

Fox replied, "Let me continue. We had to go to all these different planets to fend off the Tritans. Eventually, I went to Fichina to rescue what I thought was your brother. He said his name was Steven. He changed his identity so that he could betray us at the last minute and take the Tritan King to Andross!"

James held up his hands and said, "Whoa, whoa, slow down! Why?"

Fox said, "He said he did it for the money. He took away the Great Fox with Peppy and Beltino in it. He could kill them! I heard that Andross had a base on Titania but when I arrived, it turned out he had escaped and Oikonny, his nephew, was in charge. We put him in jail and now he's on Corneria. He's our only lead. We have to interrogate him to find Andross."

James nodded up and down in thought, saying, "Wow. That's some story. I'll tell you what; you sure do know how to get into escapades like your father! We've got to leave immediately so we can stop Andross!"

The two dashed out of the diner and headed for Fox's Arwing. There was no time to waste, once again. But as soon as they reached Fox's ship, they heard a yell, "There they are! Get 'em!"

Fox threw his dad onto the ground and yelled, "Take cover! We're being ambushed!"

James and Fox took cover behind the Arwing back-to-back and took out their blasters.

"Good thing I kept this with me!" James exclaimed.

Fox grinned at his sly dad. The father and son began to fire at their attackers. By the looks of things, they had to be Andross's troops! They wildly fired at Fox and James. Andross must've known Fox would be looking for his dad! But how did Andross know they were on Katina…?

"Keep firing!" Fox said to James.

"Got it!" James replied.

Fox revealed a smart bomb he had kept in his pocket and threw it at a large number of troops standing together. It instantly blew up the soldiers, leaving only a few left to Fox and James. They took out the remaining and gave each other a celebratory high five.

"We did great!" Fox complemented his father and him.

James chuckled and replied, "Well, I guess I still got it after all these years!"

Just then, they saw a whole entire new batch of troops coming at them! Fox's jaw dropped and he said to James, "Come on, let's get out of here! Get into the backseat of my Arwing!"

James obeyed without hesitation and threw himself into the backseat. Fox shot a few more with his blaster and jumped into the driver's seat of the Arwing. He shot his Arwing forward and ran over an exceptional percentage of the soldiers.

James sat in awe and said, "Wow! You really know what the term resourceful means!"

Fox laughed and said, "I got it from my friend, Falco."

Fox put the ship into gear and blasted off away from Katina, heading back for Corneria.


	3. Conflict on Corneria

**Chapter 2: Conflict on Corneria**

As soon as the father and son vacated the area, Fox cruised through outer space with no worries about being shot at for now. Naturally, he was still curious about his father's experiences.

"Alright, I've told my story. Tell me yours after Andross captured you," Fox said.

James chuckled. He explained, "Well, Andross made a mistake. When he locked me up in jail, he left the door open! How stupid! When he announced that he had killed me to everyone, it was a mere bluff. He just wanted everyone to think I was dead, of course. It panicked him quite some at first… During the time up 'till now, I've been hiding out from his forces on different planets. I've managed to avoid him."

Fox nodded and said, "That's good. I just hope we can get Oikonny to talk."

"We had a run-in with him before the Aparoid Invasion. We captured him on Titania at Andross's base and now he's back on Corneria," Fox explained to James.

"Interesting. We can always persuade him to talk," James said, smiling as he raised his blaster sardonically.

Fox grinned and announced, "We're nearly there."

* * *

Once Fox and James arrived on the city-planet, they were greeted by many overjoyed citizens. Everyone was eager to see Fox with his father! Fox jumped out of the cockpit, followed by James. Everyone gathered around them and cheered.

Krystal came up to them and realized, "Fox! This must be your dad!"

Fox replied, "Uh, yeah! We got into a little trouble on Katina. Some of Andross's men attacked. Must've somehow known about my dad being there. I guess I'll take a rest at my cabin while you guys can catch up with my dad."

Krystal laughed and said, "But Fox, you've just returned! Surely you won't just leave right away now that you're back!"

Fox thought about what to say next. He didn't want to disappoint her or anything, and certainly not make bad reputation. Then, he remembered he needed to take care of Andrew.

"Well, I guess I can stay for awhile. But I need to question Oikonny as soon as possible," Fox replied.

Krystal smiled and hugged Fox, clearly satisfied with his decision. Fox blushed when Krystal kissed him on the side of his cheek and said, "Thanks, Fox."

While James told Krystal, Slippy, and Falco about his escapades, Fox sat at a nearby corner, gazing down at the hard floor. They were at Slippy's cabin right now. All their cabins at the academy were lined up in a row, mainly because they stayed together. Though sometimes Fox could be embarrassed by Krystal, he truly did love her back just as much if not more than Krystal loved him.

About the time James got to the part about hiding away from Andross, Fox announced, "I'm going to the jailhouse to interrogate Oikonny now. I can't wait too long to do it, otherwise Andross might make more progress, if you know what I mean."

"Sure thing, Foxie. Just be sure to get him to talk a bit," Falco said.

Slippy scratched the back of his head and said, "I guess we'll see you later…"

Krystal stood up and said, "By yourself? It could be a trap! I'm going too, Fox."

Fox scratched the back of his own head and said, "Well… I guess you can come if you want. Just make sure that you're careful."

James waved at them and shouted as they exited, "Good luck, Fox old boy!"

Once Fox and Krystal made it to the jailhouse, they were surprised to see Bill Grey already waiting for them. He turned to face them and said, "He hasn't said a blasted word! Maybe you can get something out of him..."

Fox nodded, confident.

"Don't worry. We'll get him to talk," Fox assured his friend.

Bill saluted him and remained near the jailhouse entrance. Fox and Krystal strode in and saw Oikonny sitting in a chair at a table, awaiting Fox's arrival.

"Are you going to tell us everything we need to know without giving us trouble?" Fox started off asking.

Oikonny laughed mischievously and answered, "I guess that depends on the questions, eh? You're an idiot in the first place to believe that Andross could be beaten!"

Krystal angrily jumped up when Oikonny insulted Fox.

Fox put a hand on Krystal's shoulder and said, "It's alright, Krystal."

Krystal reluctantly returned to her seat and gazed in anger at the ape.

Fox asked first, "Where is Andross?"

Oikonny responded with slight hesitation, "Sector X."

Fox narrowed his eyes at Oikonny and asked, "Where is that?"

"Near the outskirts of Lylat. Could be out of the system." Oikonny replied.

"Why is he there?" Fox asked.

"He built a machine there that would preserve his life so that no one or anything could kill him."

Krystal demanded, "Does Star Wolf still work for him?"

Andrew laughed and responded, "I've said too much."

All of a sudden, three of Andross's men burst into the room and pointed their guns at Fox and Krystal. How did they get here?! Andrew must have somehow contacted them… As Fox and Krystal helplessly raised their hands in surrender, Oikonny got up and slowly exited the building.

"Goodbye, Star Fox. Hopefully I didn't disappoint you." Oikonny said, cackling as he left.

Fox and Krystal instinctively darted forward and lunged at the armed guards, knocking them all over. Oikonny, scared, ran out of the building as soon as possible, catching Grey's attention.

Bill revealed a blaster gun in his belt and chased after Oikonny, saying, "You're not going anywhere, Oikonny!"

After Fox and Krystal took out the troops, they ran out the door as fast as they could, eventually catching up to Bill and Oikonny's position. Oikonny revealed his own gun and shot a few bullets back at the three heroes. They managed to avoid them, and Bill shot his own gun at Andrew, unfortunately missing. Oikonny started to climb up a ladder connected to a building. As Bill almost proceeded to climb up after, Fox stopped him.

"Call the authorities, Bill. Krystal and I will get Oikonny," Fox told him.

Bill nodded and got out his communicator to call the authorities. Meanwhile, Fox and Krystal rapidly climbed up the ladder in hot pursuit of Oikonny. Oikonny shot back some bullets at the two, which they easily avoided. Oikonny continued up until he reached the rooftops. Fox and Krystal got there almost immediately afterwards and ran as fast as they could at Oikonny. Eventually the three reached the end of the roof.

Fox raised his blaster at Oikonny and said, "Give it up, Oikonny. There's nowhere to go."

Andrew grinned, and all of a sudden he jumped off the building and appeared to have landed on the roof of another building and kept on running! Two more of Andross's guards appeared behind Fox and Krystal, guns in hand. Fox charged at one and knocked him over. Krystal easily took out the other by punching and kicking him. Fox's enemy got back up and sent a strong punch at him. Fox tumbled back a bit, but easily recuperated, grabbed the guard by the arm and threw him over the side of the building. They could hear the troop screaming as he met a fateful end. Fox and Krystal moved on and jumped onto the next roof, slowly catching up to Oikonny.

Once they neared the end of that rooftop, Oikonny suddenly spun around and shot Krystal in the leg. She cried in pain as Fox shouted desperately, "KRYSTAL!"

Fox leaned over Krystal and heard her say, "Fox, you've got to go after Oikonny! I'll be fine."

Fox reluctantly left the poor, injured Cerinian and dashed fast at Oikonny with utter rage. Oikonny ran to the left and started to climb inside of an old, dilapidated building; it was probably this way because of the Aparoid attack. Fox doubled Oikonny's speed, giving him better position by the second. Fox entered the old building, but did not see Oikonny… Fox looked around, holding his blaster close to him to be safe. All of a sudden, he felt an arm hit his face! Fox tumbled over in pain, but quickly got over it and spun around with a lethal kick at Oikonny's center. Oikonny fell against the window entrance and slowly got up. Fox gave him no time and grabbed Oikonny by the shirt, throwing him against the wall. Fox was currently mainly angry at him for hurting Krystal, rather than for helping Andross. Oikonny raised his hands in surrender, but tricked Fox and kneed him in the stomach. Fox held onto his hurting stomach with one hand, while with the other he pinned Oikonny against the window. He released the arm on his stomach and threw a ruthless punch at Oikonny's face. Once Oikonny was stunned, Fox took advantage and threw him out of the window, sending him hurtling down onto the roof. Upon the impact of smashing his back, Oikonny couldn't get up due to his pain. Fox leapt down onto the roof and saw the police coming their way.


	4. Skirmish on Zoness

**Chapter 3: Skirmish on Zoness**

Once Oikonny was taken away by the authorities once again, Fox ran back to Krystal as soon as he could. There he met an injured Krystal and Bill Grey standing over her. She had a small wound; fortunately, it looked like the damage wouldn't be too serious.

"Are you all right, Krystal?" Fox asked her.

Krystal looked up at Fox and replied, "Yah, I'll be fine. I just need to get back to my cabin and rest..."

Fox gave her a fervent smile and hugged her, giving her some comfort. Krystal returned his smile and hugged him back with just as much love. The embrace was short-lived though, as Fox knew he had business to take care of.

Fox straightened up and said, "I'd better go down to the research center and find out where this Sector X is."

Krystal looked confused and asked, "You believe Oikonny?"

Fox shrugged and said, "It's all I've got. I'll see you later, Krystal."

"Goodbye, Fox," Krystal said.

Fox made his way to the research facility as fast as he could. He hated not being able to be in contact with Peppy or Beltino. He made his way through the researchers and started searching on Beltino's computer for Sector X.

A researcher spoke up, "Uh, Mr. Toad doesn't allow anyone to use his computer…"

"I'm sure Beltino doesn't care if I use it to save his life. I'm Fox McCloud," Fox responded hastily.

Shunned, the researcher went back to his work while Fox got an alert on the radar of Beltino's computer. A few red dots appeared on the screen on Planet Zoness. Fox wondered who it could be… Tritans the King had created, perhaps? Fox didn't care. He knew he had to rush over there first as soon as possible! Fox contacted his dad and informed Falco, Slippy, and his James that he would be on Zoness. With that, Fox took his Arwing and headed off into space once again…

* * *

Zoness was once a polluted planet during the Lylat Wars. Now, it was a vast, stormy planet with a dark atmosphere to it. Fox landed his Arwing on the first platform he could find and jumped out, ready for action. He took out his blaster and started looking around. Fox had specifically landed as close to the red dots as he could. There was nothing in sight other than some old buildings, platforms, and the rain and lighting in the sky. Then, Fox saw lights going on and off in a nearby building. He dashed to the building and kicked down the door. Inside, he saw innocent civilians lying on the floor while Leon Powalski threatened them with a gun, while Panther Caroso and Wolf O'Donnell were removing a small, electrical box.

Fox held up his blaster at Wolf and demanded, "Put down the box, Wolf. What are you doing?"

Wolf turned around to face Fox. He grinned mischievously, saying, "Look who's finally turned up! Fox McCloud! You should have listened to me before we busted outta jail. We snuck in a smart bomb, attached it to the wall and BOOM! We were out the moment we got in!"

Fox raised his blaster higher to Wolf.

"I should have blown you up in the base like I wanted to when we were in the Sargasso Hideout. Psychopaths like you don't deserve to be around anyone other than yourselves," Fox remarked.

Wolf laughed and returned, "Do you expect to take us down now all by yourself, Fox?"

"I know where Andross is. I've captured Oikonny and I'm going to put you away with him in jail. You might as well just tell me what you're doing since I know that you're working for Andross," Fox said.

Wolf responded, "How would you assume that? Though you are right… He hasn't killed Peppy and Beltino, yet. He may want 'em alive for a bit. If you must know, we're taking this box because it benefits Andross. We only work for him to get rich quick so we don't have to look for another fool to work for, know what I mean?"

Fox charged forward and sent an unexpected kick at Wolf's center, causing him to fall hard into the wall behind. Wolf responded with a harsh backhand that dizzied Fox. Panther came and punched a dizzy Fox. Fox fell back for a moment, then regained himself and threw the side of his body into Wolf and Panther, sending them tumbling to the floor. Leon joined in and charged at Fox with his knife. Fox held up Panther in front of him to prevent Leon from moving in any closer. Fox threw a strong punch at Panther and threw him into Leon. Leon angrily got up and threw his knife fast at Fox. Impressively, Fox caught the knife in one hand with his reflexes and threw it right back at Leon's leg. Leon clutched onto his paining leg and began to retreat.

"Stop right there, Powalski! I'll kill you!" Wolf angrily commanded.

Leon stopped in his tracks with hesitation as the pain in his leg grew. Fox resumed the fight back with Wolf. He punched Wolf hard in the stomach, while Wolf elbowed Fox in the face. Fox ignored the hurt and sent both of his fists at Wolf's face. While Wolf doubled over in shock and pain, Fox released a roundhouse kick at Wolf's body. Wolf tumbled back into the wall again, while Panther snuck up on Fox and kicked him hard into the wall. Wolf and Panther seized the opportunity to run out the door with the electrical box and left Leon behind, still clutching onto his leg. Fox ran as fast as he could to go outside to find Wolf and Panther, but they were already taking off in their Wolfens. But now, they had another villain captured. Fox took the angry, helpless, and defeated Leon to his Arwing after telling the citizens everything was all right now. Why would Andross want the electricity? It all made no sense to Fox right now. Maybe Leon could answer…

The sinister primate laughed to himself in his base, already confident he would prevail.

"Star Fox will never find me! No matter what they do, they cannot stop me this time! I'm invincible, and they don't even know it! I will create an army of Tritans, and I will be the supreme ruler of the entire Lylat galaxy! Then I will destroy Star Fox! Nothing can beat me: Andross!"


	5. A Peaceful Evening

**Chapter 4: A Peaceful Evening**

Fox unhappily returned to Corneria without the whole Star Wolf team. He only got Leon! Hopefully he could at least get Leon to talk… He still didn't appreciate the fact that he didn't even know what was going on with Peppy and Beltino. Peppy and Fox had been very close ever since they thought James had died. They stuck together to the end of the Lylat Wars, Sauria Crisis, Aparoid Invasion, and now the Tritan Attack. Fox landed his Arwing on the nearest platform in Corneria. Nighttime had already arrived…

He got out and presented Leon to the rest of the team and James.

"I managed to capture this dirt after a run-in with Star Wolf on Zoness," Fox said to them.

Slippy jumped up and asked, "What were they doing on Zoness?"

"I'm not entirely sure. They were getting some kind of box of electrical contents for Andross. Doesn't make sense…"

"I say we march down to Sector X and put Andross on ice," Falco said.

Krystal came forward and agreed, "Yes, Fox. We had better stop Andross and his men soon, or they'll have a bigger army and it will be too late for us."

Fox looked into Krystal's eyes and said, "I thought you had an injured leg. Weren't you in the cabin?"

"I got some medical attention; feel much better now," Krystal responded to Fox's slight confusion.

Fox nodded and said, "You and Falco are right. We'd better stop Andross soon. Also, I don't like Peppy and Beltino being out of sight. We'd better formulate a plan to strike into the heart of Andross."

Fox looked at Slippy and James.

"Slippy, you go with my dad to the research facility and look up all you can find on Sector X. We need to know about the place to have an advantage. Falco, take this creep to jail with Oikonny. I'm going back to my cabin for a rest," Fox ordered.

As Falco, Slippy, and James left, Fox and Krystal walked back to the cabins together. Every Star Fox member other than Krystal knew Corneria like the back of their hand. It was just the exact same thing over and over again. Everything the same… Fox had figured that he had been to practically every planet in the galaxy. Except for Cerinia… Fox had deep sympathy for Krystal, loosing her parents at a young age and all. He truly felt fortunate that a beautiful girl, like her, loved him back almost as much as he loved her. The team usually didn't get breaks. It was just more work and more fighting. There would always be enemies in the galaxy out there…

Once the pair had reached back to the cabins, Krystal stopped in her tracks and asked Fox, "Would you like to come to my cabin?"

Fox blushed and responded shyly, "Uh, um, sure."

Krystal grabbed Fox's hand and took him into her cabin. It was nicely organized and well put together! Everything in order, nothing cluttered; it was very much the opposite of Falco and Slippy's cabins.

"Wow, nice cabin," Fox complemented to her.

Krystal blushed and replied, "Why, thank you! I just think that we both need a break for the night. We always go out on missions, and we never get any free time… Except for the one date we went on together during the Tritan attack…"

Fox remembered the wonderful night and remarked, "Ah, yes…"

They both stood in silence for a moment, and abruptly began kissing each other. They meant it with all their hearts. It was very much like the kiss they had shared on their date. After the nice, passionate kiss, Fox was the first to pull away.

Krystal smiled, saying, "I never expected us to end up like this. Ever since I met you on Sauria, I had never expressed my true feelings for you. But at the same time, I knew I loved you…"

"It's okay, Krystal. I promise I'll beat the Tritans and Andross. This time, I intend to finish him for good…" Fox said.

"Fox, do you think it's natural for us to be attracted to each other?" Krystal suddenly asked.

Fox scratched the back of his head and replied, "Well, I never really thought about it. I don't see why it is or isn't. I just think that relationships are meant to just be affection towards one another, not really mattering who…"

Fox chuckled and said, "So, shouldn't we be focusing on how we take down Andross?"

"We don't have to worry about these things all the time, Fox. Can't we have a night of relaxation?" Krystal asked him.

Fox looked around and said, "Uh, I don't see why not, Krystal. I just want to make sure that Peppy and Beltino are all right."

Krystal smiled and hugged Fox passionately.

"Thanks Fox. I just want us to relax together. Can… Can you spend the night here?" Krystal asked.

"Um… Sure. Where do you want me to sleep?" Fox responded.

"Why, with me, of course!" Krystal replied, her smile widening.

Fox's eyes suddenly popped open. Fox couldn't imagine Krystal meant for him to sleep in the same bed as her. He wouldn't want to intrude in her space in that kind of way…

"You mean, in bed… with you? I mean, don't you think I should at least sleep out on the couch or something?" Fox asked.

Krystal said, "Well… I wanted to sleep next to you because I feel so much safer with you next to me. I feel like I could be attacked or taken if it weren't for you. Besides, the couch is uncomfortable for anyone. I just need some comfort…"

Fox decided, "Well, I suppose I would if you want me to. I just wanted to make sure that's what you wanted."

Krystal smiled and gently kissed Fox on the cheek.

"Yes, love. Let's just relax." She purred softly.

The two sauntered peacefully into Krystal's room and went to lie down upon her bed. Together, they took their minds off of their problems for now. Cuddling with each other, they fell asleep under the moonlight, blissful as could be…


	6. The Dream

**Chapter 5: The Dream**

He was running. He was running fast. Fox McCloud kept on going. There was no stopping. Nowhere to go, no particular place in mind. Everything was… in ruin. Fox could see burning buildings and the smoldering skeletons of citizens from Lylat, circled by ash. He didn't know what to make of it. Everything was just… ruined. Dilapidated buildings, piles of waste that could be anything, miserable, dead bodies piled atop of each other, mounds of ash, fires scattered everywhere. The list was miserably endless. The atmosphere was desperately hopeless and depressing. Fox didn't know why he was running. It was over. Andross had won…

Fox kept going on, picking up pace. Through his emerald eyes, he could barely make out all the horrid, depressing images through the foggy smoke of fire and waste.

A voice rang out, "Why couldn't you save her, son?"

Fox looked up in the clouds to see his father's face.

"Dad?" Fox asked.

James gravely shut his eyes.

"Why. Why did you let us die..." were James's final words.

Fox felt tears forming and dropping from his desperate, clouded eyes. He hopelessly ran away from the unwanted sight and kept moving north, until he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw two dead bodies. He instantly recognized them to be Beltino and Peppy, lying dead next to each other. Fox then heard a roar of laughter coming from above him. Andross's smug and evil face came into view, laughing maniacally at the disturbing sight.

"You loose, Fox McCloud! You've lost everything! You never stood a chance. You should have backed out when you had the chance, acting like the coward you are. But instead, you'd rather face the impossible and perish before all your loved ones. HAHA!"

Fox felt the ground beneath him start to shake, and all of a sudden he found himself falling down, still able to hear the crazy laughter of the much-hated madman. Fox kept falling, unsure of where he was headed next. But when he thudded against the ground abruptly, he found himself at a cemetery. He scrambled up to his feet and witnessed Slippy, Falco, Krystal, and Bill Grey gathered around a grave.

Fox ran forward, shouting, "It's me, guys! I'm here!"

But the four kept watching the tablet, motionlessly and depressed. Fox realized they couldn't hear him. He found himself running through Slippy's apparently transparent body! Fox ignored the odd circumstance and made out the words on the grave: _Here lies Fox McCloud, much-loved. He was the former leader of Team Star Fox and a true hero for Lylat._

Fox gasped in amazement, terrified to find out he had died.

"I'm… sorry…, Fox." Slippy barely managed the words out of his mouth while crying in deep grievance.

Falco couldn't say anything. He just stood there, crying for the first time Fox had ever seen. Falco had always acted like the tough one around Star Fox. Fox thought, _Now just look at him. _They were all truly, utterly depressed. It was as if the galaxy was coming to an end. Fox didn't know what to do. He couldn't talk to them or anything!

Bill said through haunting tears, "I'll always remember you, buddy. You'll always be in our hearts…"

Lastly, Krystal came forward and placed flowers upon his grave. She looked so despondent that she looked like she would die of from tears and misery. Fox was pained to see her in such sadness and hurt. He wished he could be there by her side, relaxing and cheering her up. But he couldn't. It was useless for him to even be there. In fact, it was worse that way for Fox to experience the pain to see his friends in such a state. Unfortunately, he was incapable of ending his own misery of watching her.

"Goodbye, Fox. I'll always love you. No matter what, you'll be there in my heart. Your father would have been proud. If you only knew how much I loved you…" Krystal said through tears.

Fox felt truly touched to hear Krystal say that. He didn't know what to think. He was lost in a world where he was miserably by himself, knowing that his friends had lost the one person they had cared about most. It was almost impossible to even imagine that they had lost! Fox thought about how they had always pulled through since the beginning; the Lylat Wars, the Sauria Crisis, the Aparoid Invasion, and the Tritan Attack. They had done it all, up until now. Fox felt like they had lost everything. How did they let it happen? How?

Suddenly, Fox realized he was no longer inside of the graveyard surrounding, but rather in the middle of outer space. It seemed like he could touch the stars from his position. It was impossible! Then he saw battleships engaged in a hardcore fight against each other. They were Arwings and Andross's ships. Fox could recognize them both immediately. It seemed like the Cornerian forces were doing just fine, in fact beating down Andross's men. Then Fox saw Krystal, Falco, and Slippy's ships zooming past him.

He heard Slippy remark, "This is way too easy, eh Fox?"

Then Fox saw himself in an Arwing coming around to the other three ships.

"Don't get too cocky, Slippy. Let's just focus on our work," Fox responded.

"Yes, Slippy. Listen to Fox. He knows what's best," Krystal added.

Fox felt his heart sink as he heard Krystal's voice again. He was thinking about how he'd never get to talk to her or anyone ever again. He was alone…

Then he heard Andross's voice roar, "It isn't over yet, Star Fox! I still have an ace up my sleeve!"

Out of the blue, a gigantic fleet of Tritans came rippling behind Andross's ships! At that moment, Fox realized he was in the middle of the final battle…

"Oh boy!" Falco exclaimed.

"What do we do now, Fox?" Krystal asked Fox.

Fox's ears perked up all of a sudden, but then again realized she was just talking to the still-alive Fox in the Arwing.

"You guys have got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" the other Fox said.

Slippy immediately realized, "But… But you can't! You'll die out here all alone! You can't stay here, Fox! Come with us!"

Krystal was even more shocked at Fox's decision to stay there.

She said, "NOOO! Fox, they'll kill you!"

The Fox in the Arwing gravely shut his eyes and said, "I need to destroy as many of them as I possibly can to protect you guys. You'll die too if you hang around here."

"Hold up, buddy. Have you lost your mind?" Falco said, panicked.

Before the Fox in the Arwing could reply, they all heard Andross say, "Surrender your vessels now, or I'll order Steven to kill off Peppy and Beltino!"

Fox shouted over his intercom, "Get out of here, guys!"

As Slippy and Falco hesitantly left the scene, Andross ordered his men, "Kill Star Fox!"

The remaining ships of Andross and Tritans came forward and started to shoot at Fox in the Arwing.

"Go, Krystal! Get out of here and go to Falco and Slippy!" Fox ordered her as he realized she had stayed with Fox after Falco and Slippy left.

Krystal shouted back, "I can't leave you here for dead, Fox! I love you!"

The other Fox found himself crying and replied, "I love you too, Krystal. That's why I want you to get out of here! Please! You have to live! That's all I want…"

Krystal started to cry as well and reluctantly left the horrid scene. She left, because it was what Fox wanted… She joined up with Falco and Slippy's ships as they witnessed the destruction of the Cornerian Army dashing in a last effort ahead of Fox. Fox shot as fast and hard as he could at the enemy, using all that he had left inside of his body. But even though his efforts were tough, it was inevitable for him to die. The three knew it as they saw every enemy ship fire at Fox, sending him into oblivion. Fox saw his Arwing blow up and Krystal shouting in horrid pain. It was the end of Lylat…


	7. Unfriendly Reunion

**Chapter 6: Unfriendly Reunion**

Fox snapped awake in a cold sweat, panicked and worried upon seeing himself die along all the other disturbing images. Krystal's telepathic powers sensed the commotion and awoke her, seeing that Fox was worried. She looked scared and concerned.

"What's the matter, Fox?" Krystal asked him quickly.

Fox was tremendously relieved to see Krystal and realize that the horrible vision had merely been an awful nightmare. The worst he had ever experienced…

He turned to the beautiful vixen and tried to change the topic by asking, "Did you sleep well?"

"Just fine, but what happened?" Krystal repeated.

"Well… It was just a bad dream. Nothing to be concerned about now…" He finished slightly sheepishly.

Krystal was still persisted to get him to tell her what he dreamed about.

"What was the dream about?" she asked him.

Fox answered, "Let's just say that it was horrid…"

Krystal decided to cut Fox a break this time. The two sat up in the bed for a moment of unusual, solemn silence.

Krystal broke the quiet and suddenly asked, "Fox, do you think that we'll always be together? You know, on Star Fox?"

Fox turned to her and gave her a soft hug. He truthfully replied, "I don't know, Krystal. I should hope so. I mean, for the most part, I'd think if you wanted to stay on Star Fox, then, we will be. But, you never know… I mean, anything could happen…"

Krystal seemed slightly worried at his response. Could he be right? Would there be a time when something would happen to separate the two? Then Krystal came to a possible horrifying conclusion: death. No matter what, the two couldn't live forever. It was a sad, horrible truth deep inside both of them that they knew. They couldn't win every battle, could they? All the thoughts made Krystal start to question herself and her happiness inside her head. It was all so troublesome; Fox was speaking about their future. They loved each other so much, it would be so hard to let go… Krystal thought about it; living by herself without her love one day. Was it going to happen? Everyone dies…

They both felt a small tear form and drop from their eyes. Fox realized the same thing Krystal had, about staying together. Fox straightened up though and remembered that they had to stay focused on their work. They were still fighting a war, and it had to be ended…

"We'd better get down to the academy," Fox said to Krystal.

He helped her out of bed and returned to his cabin to prepare for the day ahead of him. As he got ready, he also thought about being able to protect Krystal for the rest of his life. Then he realized something even bigger; there would always be villains in the galaxy. No matter what happened, there would always be a group or someone that wanted domination and chaos towards others. How could Star Fox see beyond that forever? They couldn't always be there forever, fighting off enemies. They wouldn't be able to foresee every new attempt to threaten Lylat. Fox supposed, it was possible, that a new Star Fox team could be assembled again one day, much like he had taken over his father's place.

But Fox decided he would have to think about the future later and met up with Krystal to head down to the academy. But while Fox tried to push aside all of his realizations, they kept coming back, as if haunting him. Whether Fox thought about these things sooner or later, they could happen…

* * *

Fox and Krystal arrived to find an already waiting Slippy and Bill Grey.

"We questioned Oikonny again and Leon with Falco yesterday late afternoon. Leon told us that Andross had already gathered everything that he needed. The day they stole the electrical box from Zoness was because it helps the machine that keeps Andross alive. They need it," Grey informed them.

Before Fox could respond at all, Slippy added, "They're already almost finished creating their Tritan army! If those guys get into Lylat, we're sunk. We've got to stop Andross as soon as possible."

James entered the room and took a seat alongside Grey.

"Andross has already threatened to launch an attack on Corneria this morning! We don't know yet if he's going to go through with his plan, or if it's just a bluff to scare us. Either way, we should be focused on getting to Sector X and stopping that madman before he sends out the Tritans," James said.

"Our army wouldn't be able to handle all of them alone," Bill added.

Fox nodded and asked to no one in particular, "Do you suppose Andross had Peppy and Beltino killed?"

Slippy gasped at the question while James spoke up, "Doubtful, Fox. It was probably another way to scare us off from stopping them. If he killed them now, it wouldn't do them any good."

The five of them ceased talking when they heard a beeping noise coming from the monitor on Beltino's computer. Slippy rolled his chair over and reported, "It looks like the Great Fox is coming this way for Corneria!"

Fox said, "Just as I thought! Steven is trying to distract us before we can stop them, to slow us down while they take over the rest of Lylat! I'd better contact Falco so we can get moving and stop them."

At that moment, Falco burst through the front door and replied, "Don't bother, Fox. I'm already here."

Fox grinned and commanded, "Let's move out!"

Fox, Falco, Krystal, Slippy, and this time James headed out in Arwings to meet up with the Great Fox. Fox thought about two other things, where Pepper had went off to, and where the parchment he had found on Fichina was at. Then he remembered, Peppy and Beltino had it! He must have stolen it from them. Why would they want that?

* * *

The five didn't have to travel far before they saw the Great Fox near Corneria. They heard Steven's voice say, "I thought you might be coming! Curses!"

James spoke up, "Steven? How could you do this? Impersonate my brother, and then betray everyone, for a profit!

Steven said, "Well, well! You must be James McCloud! Andross talked a lot about you…

It seemed too easy; all they had to do was capture back the Great Fox. They advanced their Arwings towards Steven as fast as they could manage. Steven got the hint they were chasing him and he immediately retreated.

"Keep following him!" Fox ordered.

They shot a few lasers at the Great Fox, mostly to distract Steven's driving. Though it didn't stop Steven from retreating… Eventually, they realized he was fleeing to Macbeth. They switched to their fasted gears and flew to Macbeth's surface. What would Steven do there? With his companions, Fox flew his Arwing to find out.


	8. Fight in Flames on Macbeth

**Chapter 7: Fight in Flames on Macbeth**

Macbeth is by far the hottest planet in the Lylat System. The planet was infested with pools of lava and magma overcoming much of the surface. After a few seconds of a glimpse at it, no one can never forget the burning image in your head. The five Arwings sped after the Great Fox, which came to an abrupt stop on the planet's surface.

The five saw Steven escape in an Arwing from the bigger ship.

"Ha ha! I'm sure you'd love to catch me, but it looks like you have company to attend to!" Steven said, referring to a large group of Tritans coming at them.

They were on one of few surfaces not covered by lava. There was a mountain nearby, and a few tall rocks. Not very elaborate, but still a fascinating backdrop…

"What do we do, Fox?" Slippy asked.

Fox saw the Tritans nearing them and said, "I'm sure Steven's going back to Sector X. It looks like they already took over Macbeth. We destroy these Tritans, than go to the Great Fox. From there, we can hopefully go to Sector X and take out Andross."

James, Fox, and Krystal jumped out of their Arwings, while Falco and Slippy remained in theirs, shooting at the Tritans from their ships. They managed to destroy a good amount, but the odds stacked against them when the Tritans blew up Falco and Slippy's Arwings with a large cannon. Falco and Slippy barely got away and hurried behind the behind the Great Fox to hide.

"Any ideas on how we outmaneuver them?" Falco asked impatiently.

James suggested, "I have an idea! One of us should distract them while the rest of us take them out!"

Fox nodded his head in agreement and said, "He's right. From that point, we should be able to defeat them. I'll head out first."

The team agreed and the plan was settled. Fox dove out from the Great Fox and got the Tritan's attention immediately.

"NOW!" Fox shouted for the rest.

Slippy came out second and started to shoot some of the Tritans at the rear. While the Tritans turned to face their new attacker, Falco came out third and started to fire at them as well. The Tritans then moved their attention to Falco, while Krystal came out and started to fire at a corner angle. The Tritans were becoming more and more confused on where to attack!

"It's working!" Krystal reported.

Fox nodded and said, "Come out, dad!"

James followed the pattern lastly and started to ambush the enemy. At that point, the Tritans didn't even know where to start attacking. While the Tritans started to wildly fire everywhere they could, the team was forced to take cover behind some nearby rocks. From that safety, they still managed to shoot out the rest of the Tritans successfully.

"Yah! Do we go to Sector X now?" Slippy said eagerly.

Fox grimly responded, "No. It's never this simple with anything. There'll be a generator here somewhere, a control base. We can't risk leaving the planet unsafe. Otherwise, they'll multiply here and the whole thing starts over again."

Krystal noticed a control center at the top of the mountain and pointed it out to them, "A control center! At the top of that mountain!"

The others turned to Krystal's direction and saw the base.

"We'd better head there then and stop these guys!" Falco declared.

"Yah, or Andross will have his way!" Slippy agreed.

The five went to the mountain and started to climb up. Thankfully it wasn't too big, or steep. They actually stood a chance of stopping the madman Andross once again! It soon became clear to all of them. They had to find out about Peppy and Beltino, though. They were probably on Sector X with Andross. They broke down the door of the control center to find a room full of more Tritans and a generator.

"AHHH!" Slippy exclaimed.

Fox calmed him and said, "No worries; we'll handle this just fine."

Falco added, "Yah, Fox here is right."

Fox commanded, "All of you, start to take out as many Tritans as you can. I'm going to plant a bomb in the base so that we don't have to spend time destroying the generator."

They nodded and took out their blasters again, firing madly and rapidly at their ferocious enemies. Fox pulled out a timed bomb and placed it on a computer monitor near the Tritan generator. The bomb would go off in just a few seconds…

"Everyone, we've got to exit the opposite way! Quickly!" Fox instructed.

As a new Tritan was spawned from the generator and went near the timed bomb, the five ran and jumped out of the building, while they heard the explosion closely behind them. Once they all tumbled to the safe ground, it was easy to observe that they had demolished the Tritan base.

"Alright. We'll get back to the Great Fox and head for Sector X. From there, Falco, Krystal, and I will head out in the Arwings," Fox ordered.

They scrambled back through lava pool areas to reach their massive ship. Fox stroked the 'Great Fox' words painted in green on the side of the gray ship and headed on in, smiling with the satisfaction of having the ship back. Once everyone arrived, they were utterly surprised and relieved to find Peppy and Beltino, lying unconscious on the floor! ROB entered the room and reported, "Steven has betrayed us and left us here. He headed for Sector X, where Andross has a base."

"Gee, I just wish we didn't know that already," Falco said sarcastically.

Fox and James awoke the two on the floor, desperate to get them awake as soon as possible. Once Peppy awoke, he was shocked to find Fox and James standing in front of him! For a moment, he thought he had died and gone to heaven!

"Where am I?" Was all the aged hare could ask.

James smiled happily and hugged his old best friend with unmatched happiness. The two had been best friends since they had met at the Cornerian Flight Academy. All their adventures together had been so memorable…

"I never thought I'd see you again, my old friend," James said to Peppy.

Peppy chuckled and said back, "Boy, I sure can double saying the same! I thought you had died. What happened?"

As Fox flew the Great Fox out of Macbeth, James explained the whole story to the newly awakened Beltino and Peppy.

"Gee, we'd better get down there, then!" Beltino exclaimed at the end once James had told them about Andross hiding out on Sector X.

Fox put the ship into high gear and set off into the vacuum of space, saying to all his companions, "Alright, let's head down to the place and take Andross and the Tritans down, once and for all!"

The Great Fox triumphantly soared through space once again on yet another escapade, carrying its passengers for their greatest battle yet…


	9. Final Battle at Sector X

**Chapter 8: Final Battle on Sector X**

Sector X was basically now a field of asteroids and Andross's base located inside of it. It was a construction-like site full of obstacles in the way of getting there. It used to contain more structures, but Andross had them blown up while preparing his own base. The Great Fox advanced as fast as it could and avoided space debris and asteroids closing in around them. Meanwhile, the Star Wolf team, Andross, and Steven gathered around, talking.

"Tonight, I shall unleash my minions onto the helpless citizens of Lylat," Andross said to them.

"Yah, but how much are we getting paid for helping you?" Steven spoke up.

Andross turned to Steven and said, "Follow me, Steven. I have a very special reward, just for you!"

Steven's eyes gleamed with greedy delight and he followed Andross to a room on the other side of the lair. Wolf and Panther casually just stood there, expecting what came next. All of a sudden, they could make out a bloodcurdling scream coming from across the room. Andross soon after returned, saying to them, "He was useless to me. He wasn't even James's real brother. I had someone duplicate him."

Wolf nodded and said, "That's what I thought."

Andross laughed and announced, "Lylat will be mine this time. I'll make sure of it."

Just as soon as Andross unveiled the Tritan army behind a large drape, the Great Fox came into their view and landed right near them. Fox, Falco, Slippy, Krystal, Peppy, and James stepped out, surprising their rival. Andross's jaw dropped as soon as he saw James beside Fox.

"I can't believe it!" Andross said in shock.

James stepped up and said, "I escaped your prison and fled to Katina. Your men weren't able to get me there, either."

Andross didn't believe what was in front of him. A heroic team, still determined to foil his evil intentions.

"I killed your real brother a long time ago, you know," Andross said bluntly, trying to intimidate James.

Wolf quickly pushed everyone aside and said, "No he didn't! Why didn't you tell me that before, then? And why did you never give my team and I our bounties?"

Andross gaped even more, angered, and tried to slap Wolf with his massive hand. Wolf jumped above the attempted whack and slid his leg into Andross's face, stunning him even more. Then he went over to Star Fox's side.

"I'm done workin' for you. I'm sick and tired of being told what to do, and being cheated out of secrets and money1 I'm the leader of my team. No one tells me what to do anymore," Wolf spat at Andross.

Panther didn't exactly know what to make of the situation. He knew though that he didn't want to be involved with Andross any longer. At that point, Panther joined Wolf near the Star Fox team, rebelling against Andross.

"So this is what you've chosen," Andross started. A small grin started to cross his face. "Foolish," he continued. "You will all die today, and you'll watch everyone else go with you. I will unleash my Tritan army and then, the Tritan King! HAHAHAH!"

The Army of Tritans and the Tritan King came out from the large draping and started to cover Andross.

It suddenly struck Fox. What about the paper that the fake Steven had? Beltino and James had told Fox they had lost it…

Fox asked, "Andross! What was on the paper?"

Andross gave Fox a puzzled look and asked, "What paper?"

Deciding Andross didn't know, Fox pulled out his blaster with great reflex and shot Andross's hand. Andross screamed in pain and shouted to the Tritans, "GET THEM!"

The Tritans advanced forward and began to fire their weapons at the team. Falco, Krystal, Slippy, Beltino, Peppy, Wolf, and Panther ran forward and retaliated at the enemy. Fox stayed behind with James, engaging in a battle with Andross.

"You will die this time, James," Andross declared bitterly.

James gave Andross a cocky grin and remarked, "Better be sure."

Andross clenched his humongous hand into a fist and threw it at James. James jumped up and landed on top of Andross hand and started to damage it. Andross cried in anger and swept James off with his other hand. James went flying behind Fox, who became enraged at his father's pain. Fox dashed forward and continued to damage Andross's other hand. Andross just endured and laughed, punching Fox's center hard and sending him backwards. Krystal witnessed this, running over to her love's aid immediately.

Andross just kept laughing and didn't pay any attention to what was happening. James got back up and returned to battle Andross. Krystal dashed away from the battle scene to Fox's side. Fox looked up at her and smiled.

"I thought you might come," Fox said to Krystal with a grin.

Krystal felt a couple of tears in her eyes and put her head on Fox's chest.

"I promised myself I would never let anything like this happen to you; please, don't be hurt…" Krystal pleaded, letting more tears come down her cheeks onto Fox's khaki jacket.

Fox hugged her back and said to her, "It's ok, Krystal. I'm gonna be fine. Get everyone else back in the Great Fox. I have a plan."

Krystal seemed curious of his idea, but silently obeyed and called everyone else back to the ship. James also left, leaving the rest of the battle to his son. Fox jumped back on his feet and started to shoot Andross's hands with his blaster. Andross growled and clapped his hands together in Fox's position. Fox jumped on top of the hands and attached a bomb in between them. Andross couldn't pull his hands away! Fox leapt away from the scene, and Andross's hands exploded; Andross howled in pain! Fox grinned with his success and destroyed a couple more Tritans rushing at him. As the Great Fox came close to him, he jumped and clung onto a rope ladder they had lowered for him. He climbed into the ship and was greeted by a warm hug from Krystal, who had clearly still been worried about Fox.

He blushed and as Krystal released him, he told them, "We have to destroy the base. If we do, we'll be able to finish off all the Tritans and Andross for good."

Wolf crossed his arms and smiled at his arch rival.

"Wow, Fox. You've become a formidable foe and I respect this simple yet good plan. Anyway, I never gave Andross the electrical box; I became fed up with what was going on between us. He kept things from my team, and never gave us our pay! Now it's time for revenge; let's do it!" Wolf said.

James then stepped forward and said to Fox, "You've become such a great man, Fox. Your mother would've been proud of you, just as much as me. I love you, son. And I _am_ very proud of you."

Slippy dashed forward past everyone else and hugged Fox, not even the slightest embarrassed. "You're a great friend, Fox! And a genius! My father and I admire your ideas and I think we should go through with this! Not too complicated, but it should work!" the toad said.

Falco shrugged his shoulders and said, "What can I say, man? You're the best pal a guy like me can have. Let's do this!"

Just then, two Cornerian Fighters appeared in front of an entire fleet of Cornerian ships, coming towards Sector X. A voice came in over the intercom in the Great Fox, "This is Bill Grey and Katt Monroe coming in to cover you guys!"

Falco's eyes brightened once he heard his old girlfriend's name mentioned. He called in, "Hey! What's up, Katt! Bill!"

Katt chuckled at Falco's usual welcome. She had helped the team before during the Lylat Wars, and had known Falco for a long time. "Hey, Falco! We've just come to help you guys win this battle! We figured you could use the help!"

Peppy called in, "Fox has got himself a plan! We bomb the place quickly and destroy Andross with his army of Tritans, before they can go anywhere!"

Bill replied, "That's great! We'll help you catch any escaping Tritans and bomb the place, too!"

Peppy responded, "Good!

Many ships swooped above the base on Sector X and started to drop all their bombs they carried onto the base while the rest took out the Tritans attempting to flee. They had bombed the whole place eventually and saw the Tritan King falling through space, drifting dead. At least that thing was finally taken care of! They could all hear Andross still laughing.

"I can take anything you fools throw at me! I'm invincible now thanks to my invention I created to keep me alive!" Andross stated.

Everyone on board the Great Fox turned to Fox.

Peppy asked, "Well, Fox. Is he right?"

Fox looked down and started thinking. Then his eyes lit up and he smiled.

"No! No he isn't. If we destroy the electrical boxes that are supporting him, we can destroy him and any chance of him being alive!" Fox exclaimed.

Everyone smiled with relief.

Slippy stepped forward and said, "Well, Fox. You do it!"

If Wolf had provided the final third box, they may not have been able to finish the job. Andross had been near two other boxes the entire time, which must be the only thing keeping him going! Fox walked over to the turrets built into the ship and took aim at an electrical circuit. James stepped up right next to him and took the other turret, aiming at another box.

James turned to Fox, smiled, and said, "I can't let you have all the fun! Besides, this revenge means just as much to me as it does to you!"

Fox smiled back at his beloved father and the two fired at the electrical boxes. In very little time, both the boxes had been decimated, exploding into sparks and cutting off the rest of Andross's energy.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Andross screamed at the top of his lungs as he was blown up to his final death. And this time, Andross was finally dead! Now was the time for celebration!

Everyone in the Great Fox all cheered and high-fives went all around.

"WE DID IT!" Slippy and Peppy cheered together

They all complemented each other and talked to one another, including Katt and Bill in their ships. They had won the war! Andross was dead. The Tritans were finished. It was finally over!


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

They all returned to Corneria and everything had been explained to each other. Stories were told to everyone about James's return, their escapades from the beginning to the end, and the glorious victory the citizens of Corneria had waited for! The mystery of the missing parchment was never to be solved by anyone. But by the end of the day, it was just a long-forgotten secrecy that some didn't know had ever even happened.

Fox stood on a balcony on a building near the jailhouse, pondering about everything, especially Andross's final, true death. Oikonny and the remnants of Andross's men were behind bars and all was well. The bounty was cleared off of Wolf, Leon, and Panther's heads. Fox was very pleased when they had joined forces again for the final battle. Star Wolf had set off to all start new lives; Wolf staying on as a professional pilot (this time for good purposes), Leon performed numerous odd jobs to make a living, and Panther eventually found a true love, instead of just hitting on random girls. He managed to let go of Krystal, though still kept a small crush on her when he left. He knew Krystal loved Fox, and let the happy couple be. Peppy retired from the field permanently and stayed on as the general of the Cornerian Forces and reunited with his daughter, Lucy Hare. Bill Grey was promoted to admiral for his bravery and was honored with a medal as Peppy's best military man. Katt and Falco continued their ongoing relationship. Slippy took a vacation to the Aquas planet and met a girl, Amanda, whom he immediately fell in love with. The two are currently engaged and Slippy continues to spend much time with his fiancée and his dad, Beltino, still occasionally creating new inventions. ROB helped out with the Cornerian Flight Academy and sometimes visited old friends. Fox and Krystal continued their relationship and truly loved each other. They would try their absolute best to remain together. James spent time with Fox and was welcomed back on Corneria as a hero, like the rest of the teammates.

Back in the present, Fox still stood on the balcony. He was in the middle of thoughts and mixed feelings of the whole entire war. What was he going to do now? He then thought about Krystal. He decided right away that he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could, as well as his father. Just then, James walked out on the balcony and stood beside Fox and sighed.

"It's an amazing feeling to be reunited with my son," James declared.

Fox smiled and hugged his embraced his father in a close hug.

"The day we met each other again on Katina was truly a miracle; I will never take it for granted to have seen my son again," James said.

Fox nodded his head in agreement and said, "Dad, I should have told you this before, but I am deeply in love with Krystal, the Cerinian teammate."

The father nodded, chuckling, and said, "The vixen. She's beautiful and kind, Fox. She reminds me of Vixy. I think she would have liked her… I know I do. You two should continue your relationship and forget your worries for a while."

"Thanks dad. It's great to hear something really nice like that from you… you know, you're a better dad than I could even ask for," Fox replied.

James smiled again and removed his sunglasses, a rare occurrence. His eyes were the exact same green color Fox had. The two were almost identical. It was almost like looking at yourself in the mirror for Fox.

"And you're a more wonderful son than I could ask for," James said back to Fox.

Fox finally announced to him, "I'm going to retire from Star Fox. And end the team. I've talked it over with the guys and they agreed. We're all going our own ways and we think it best if we end the team for now. The military system is improving under Peppy and Bill, and a new Star Fox team can be organized when the time calls."

James nodded his head and responded, "I understand. There's no need for you to be concerned about any more trouble for now. Krystal also sent me here to ask you if you could go out to dinner with her tonight. She's still at her cabin."

Fox turned to face his father and replied, "Oh… ok. I'd better go there, then!

James laughed at his stuttering and said, "Ah, you remind me of myself when I was your age. I was always nervous around Vixy. By the way, was there really a paper about the Tritans on it?"

Fox turned away and gazed out at the dusk sky, saying, "It was a paper of some kind. Perhaps it could have just been from a traveler who had gone to the cave on Fichina. I personally think it was written in the Tritan language, but who knows for sure?"

James looked down at his boots and said, "It's too bad I'll never really see my old brother, Steven, again…"

Fox patted his father on the back and said with a sly grin, "You can't be absolutely sure. Besides, what if Andross was just bluffing again about saying he killed him?"

James laughed with his son in unison, before saying, "You're right! I shouldn't be worried about that right now. And goodness, I'm holding you back from your date! You best be going!"

Fox chuckled and replied, "It's alright. I'll talk to you later, Dad!"

James smiled and hugged Fox one last time.

"Goodbye, Fox. Always remember I'm proud of you," James said to his son.

Fox walked out of the room with his father's affection. It was like walking out of a perfect dream and into another one just as good as he went to Krystal. He smiled and ran to the future, whatever it had in store…

* * *

**A/N: Did this revamped version come out well? I'm personally satisfied with my updated versions of my first two stories; they definitely needed the improvements! I appreciate the support for having me redo these stories, since while I don't consider them my best, I value them as my first works, and they deserved the makeovers. I will now resume work on my 'Twilight Princess' novelization, and also commence work on other new stories to be announced. Thank you all again for reading or rereading the stories, and I look forward to posting more new stuff now that the updates to my old works are complete! :)**


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